This paper investigates the impact of students' month of birth (MOB) on their university career choices. Specifically, we analyze whether the oldest students in their academic cohorts show more aspirational preferences when expressing their first choice of university degree. Using administrative records for students in a large university district…

This study aims to fill a gap in our understanding of the relationship between two major topics in educational research: higher education choices and students' conceptions of employability. It explores, first, the balance between vocational calling, instrumental considerations and chance in subject choice and, second, the relation between…

Purpose: The present research focuses on an understudied field in the entrepreneurial process: the events that transform intention into effective entrepreneurial behavior. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper a comparative analysis, using the t-test on related samples, is made of the perceptions of these triggering events of a group of…

Gender stereotypes are still present in the career choice. Students make decisions about future profession based on a stereotyped perception of studies. The under-representation of women in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, can be explained by this gender gap in the career choice. This article explores the influence of…

Recent approaches to initial teacher education programmes consider non-academic qualities when selecting prospective teachers. The motivation to become a teacher is crucial in the admission to, progression in, and graduation from initial teacher education programmes. Previous research has highlighted the association between motivational factors…

Contribution: This article explores the factors favoring the enrollment in engineering studies in Spain, analyzing gender differences. Background: Understanding the motivation of choosing engineering studies is very important in order to strengthen this choice in future promotions in Spain, considering that it is well below the average of the…

Increasing numbers of students on the autism spectrum enter higher education (HE), hoping to develop their skills and independence. However, many find it difficult to transition to and succeed in this environment, and the support provided by universities can be inconsistent as highlighted by a recent review. This study explores the personal…

The objective of this research was to analyse the relationship between the perception of the teacher educators' instructional style and the intention to choose teaching as a career, as reported by pre-service teachers. A longitudinal panel study was designed based on Self-Determination Theory. The participants were 429 pre-service teachers. The…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine how and why differences in gender affect entrepreneurial intention (EI). Although there are many studies in this area, scholars have yet to reach a consensus. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a survey of students at Malaga University in two stages to introduce a new perspective that…

This work explores the relationships between principals' motivations for entering the principalship and the difficulties they experienced during their first year as principals. Survey data were collected from a sample of 2042 Spanish principals. They answered a questionnaire assessing intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, difficulties experienced…

This paper reports on the use of comics to help facilitate reflection on one's past as part of an early childhood education degree programme in Spain. It is common in professional education programmes in the health and education fields to encourage students to reflect on their past in order to explore how this has shaped their development and how…

Education and research are considered as the cornerstones of the economic growth and the job creation for the Lisbon Strategy proposed by the European Union. Therefore, understanding the transmission channels of the educational investments to the society is important to inform policymakers and students about the benefits and opportunities…

In this study we have used data from Spanish public universities to assess their efficiency in a longitudinal framework between 2008/9-2014/15. To carry out the analysis, two windows data envelopment analysis and intertemporal, non-radial and radial analysis methodologies were compared. The main results show a significant deterioration in…

The present study examined gender differences in the motivations leading young people to pursue highly male-dominated Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM) degrees and careers. Seventeen young people, either enrolled in university studies or working in the private STEM sector, were interviewed. Drawing on the factors influencing…

This analysis compares 15-year-old students who reported career expectations in finance in 13 education systems that participated in the financial literacy assessment of the 2015 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA). In particular, it explores (a) selected demographic characteristics of students who expected to have a career in…